Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Jotapoint · Euroflag · source
Post	Secretary General
Body	Council of Europe
Incumbent	Marija Pejčinović Burić
Incumbentsince	2019
Department	Secretariat of the Council of Europe
Style	His/Her Excellency
Reports to	Committee of Ministers
Seat	Strasbourg
Appointer	Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; elected by Committee of Ministers
Formation	1949
First	Jacques Camille Paris

Secretary General of the Council of Europe

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe is the chief administrative officer and political representative of the Council of Europe, responsible for directing the Secretariat of the Council of Europe and implementing decisions of the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The office interfaces with member states such as France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and Poland, and represents the Council before international organizations including the European Union, United Nations, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Occupants have included diplomats, jurists and politicians from member states, shaping policy on instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter and the European Cultural Convention.

History

The post was established in 1949 alongside the founding of the Council of Europe in the aftermath of World War II and the Treaty of London (1949), with early Secretaries General like Jacques Camille Paris and Maurice Bourdet guiding postwar reconstruction, cultural cooperation and legal standard-setting. During the Cold War Secretaries General engaged with crises involving Soviet Union influence, relations with Yugoslavia (Kingdom) successor states and containment of tensions illustrated by incidents around the Berlin Blockade and the evolving status of Germany. In the 1980s and 1990s, holders such as Gunnar Jahn-era successors and later Secretaries General navigated enlargement to include Spain, Portugal, Greece, and the post-1990 accession of Central and Eastern European states like Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Estonia, and engaged with transitional justice issues arising from the breakup of Yugoslavia and conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. More recent incumbents addressed challenges including implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, responses to the 2014 Crimean crisis, dialogue with the European Union over human rights conditionality, and the Council’s interaction with states such as Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Belarus.

Role and responsibilities

The Secretary General directs the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, manages human resources and budgets, oversees thematic departments dealing with human rights instruments including the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights, and coordinates monitoring of member states under treaties like the European Social Charter. The office represents the Council at summits and intergovernmental forums, engaging with entities such as the European Commission, Committee of the Regions (European Union), Council of the European Union, and international courts including the International Criminal Court. The Secretary General prepares reports and proposals for the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, leads election observation missions with partners such as Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Carter Center, and directs initiatives in areas touched by the European Cultural Convention, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, and instruments on data protection like the work of the European Data Protection Supervisor.

Selection and appointment

Candidates for Secretary General are nominated by member states of the Council of Europe and assessed through consultation among the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The Committee of Ministers proposes a shortlist and the Parliamentary Assembly elects the Secretary General by majority vote, following precedents set in elections involving figures from states such as Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, France, and Croatia. Selection considers diplomatic experience with institutions like the United Nations, the European Commission, and national foreign ministries including those of United Kingdom and Germany, and often evaluates candidates’ records on instruments including the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter.

Terms of office and succession

The Secretary General is elected for a renewable term established by the Statute of the Council of Europe and internal rules of procedure; terms have varied in length but commonly span four years with possible renewal. Succession follows formal nomination, a Committee of Ministers proposal and a Parliamentary Assembly election; interim arrangements have involved Deputy Secretaries General and acting officials from the Secretariat of the Council of Europe when a Secretary General resigns to take posts in other organizations such as the European Commission or United Nations agencies. Precedents for non-renewal or contested succession have been shaped by member states’ diplomatic alignments, votes in Strasbourg and political considerations involving capitals such as Paris, Berlin, London and Rome.

List of officeholders

Notable Secretaries General have included early holders like Jacques Camille Paris; Cold War and post-Cold War figures who steered enlargement and legal development; and contemporary incumbents such as Terry Davis (British politician), Walter Schwimmer, Thorbjørn Jagland, and Marija Pejčinović Burić. The full roster reflects the Council’s geographic diversity with officeholders from Western, Northern and Central Europe, and illustrates links to national foreign services, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and multilateral diplomacy with the United Nations and the European Union.

Relations with other Council of Europe institutions

The Secretary General works closely with the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), and the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare on implementation, monitoring and legal advice. Coordination extends to specialized bodies including the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture, while engaging with external partners such as the European Union, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the OSCE and regional organizations across Africa and the Americas for thematic cooperation and election observation.

Category:Council of Europe Category:International organization offices